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<H2>Biography - Alexina Louie - Composer</H2>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">&copy; 1998 by
<A HREF="mailto:JohnGBowen@email.msn.com">John Bowen</A></FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1"><IMG HEIGHT="246" WIDTH="190" SRC="Alexina1.gif" ALIGN="LEFT">As I flicked through the wonderful collection
of interviews by Evelyn Huang and Lawrence Jeffery with many interesting
Chinese Canadians, I realized that there were many names that would be familiar
to FCC BC  members. This book, Chinese Canadians: Voices from a
Community (Vancouver, Douglas &amp; McIntyre 1992) contains the life stories,
in brief, of leaders like David Lam, Jean Lumb and Joseph Wong, powerful and
wealthy entrepreneurs like Bob Wong and Bob Lee. It also features an assortment
of lawyers, doctors and other professionals. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">Well known journalists like Der Hoi-Yin and
Adrienne Clarkson tell their interesting stories in the book. I hope many of
these fascinating and accomplished people will appear in this column in future
issues.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">I picked Alexina Louie for the first biography
feature because of the obvious similarities she has with many of our children
in that she is a Vancouver native of Chinese ancestry. She is also a
contemporary of a number of FCC parents. But more importantly, even though
Alexina Louie&#146;s name may not be as familiar as David Lam&#146;s or Adrian
Clarkson&#146;s, her interview suggested to me a person of broad vision and
depth of spirit.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">Alexina Louie was born in Vancouver&#146;s
Chinatown, the daughter of a successful importer/ exporter of Chinese
foodstuffs. Later she moved to a predominately non-Chinese neighbourhood in
Vancouver where she spent most of her childhood.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">Alexina&#146;s path to a career in music
started with piano lessons at age seven. At age 12 music became a passion. At
UBC, Alexina dumped her psychology major and switched to her obvious calling,
music.. After graduating from UBC, Alexina did a Masters in composition at the
University of California San Diego. There she developed an interest in Oriental
music - partly under the influence of an Italian American named Peter
Salemi.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">After spending several years in California
developing a personal style of composition, Alexina returned to Canada, already
an established composer. Her first well known composition was <I>O Magnum
Mysterium: In Memoriaum to Glen Gould.</I> Many popular compositions
followed.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">Alexina Louie composed the opening music for
Expo 86 in Vancouver, The Ringing Earth; the piece was also played by the
Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Charles Dutoit at the United Nations General
Assembly during United Nations Day in 1989 and was broadcast around the world.
Other compositions include Three Fanfares from the Ringing Earth, which opened
the new National Gallery in Ottawa, and Scenes from a Jade Terrace, which
opened the new Canadian Embassy in Tokyo.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">When Alexina switched majors at university she
started dating fewer Chinese men and more men of any extraction who shared her
enthusiasm for music. Her father was displeased and Alexina had many arguments
with him. In the end he became reconciled to it.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">In 1973, Alexina&#146;s father took the whole
family to China. Alexina said, &#147;I understood where he came from. I
understood his pride. I saw where my family had come from and how they had to
work to leave all that&#133;I saw the place where my great grandfather and
great grandmother are buried on a very small knoll. I saw the house that my
grandfather built. I saw China - the people, their pride and self-worth - and I
understood what my father wanted for me.&#148;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">Alexina later married a fellow musician. He is
a conductor, composer and a Ukrainian Canadian. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">Alexina was asked the following question by an
interviewer &#147;You&#146;re considered a prominent member of the Chinese
community. What does that mean to you?&#148; She replied, &#147;I think the
most important thing for me is to be able to contribute to the culture of the
country. I didn&#146;t set out to be a prominent Chinese Canadian; I set out to
be a Canadian artist.&#148;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">Alexina is a mother and works out of her home.
She says about being an artist, &#147;It&#146;s a profession that grows as you
grow. It is very difficult and you have to be very strong to survive, but I
can&#146;t think of a better life to lead.&#148; </FONT></P>
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<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-2"><B>Last Updated: April 25th, 1999 </B></FONT> 
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